Wednesday, May 6, 2009

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” – Ephesians 2:1-4

DeadWhen my grandfather died, my then 3 year old daughter went with my wife and I to the visitation. She kept going over to the open casket and talking to grandpa. She was telling him he needed to wake up now. However, Grandpa did not hear her. The dead can not hear, feel or interact with the living. It was the same way when we were lost. We were unable to understand spiritual things and worse yet, we were unable to please God in any way.

Warren Wiersbe said, “The unbeliever is not sick; he is dead! He does not need resuscitation; he needs resurrection. All lost sinners are dead and the only difference between one and another is the state of decay. The lost Derelict on skid row may be more decayed outwardly than the unsaved society leader, but both are dead in sin and one corpse can not be more dead than another. This means that our world is one vast graveyard, filled with people who are dead while they live. (1 Timothy 5:6)”

DisobedientThe lost souls Disobedience is both the cause and the result of his spiritual deadness. Adam and Eve disobeyed God when they ate of the fruit, (Genesis 2:17). This was the fall of man; our spiritual death; and because of it, our flesh now screams at us to disobey God and do things as we see fit.

Between the world, Satan and our own sinful flesh, mankind is simply not equipped to live an obedient life on his own. The world screams at us to conform to it, (Romans 12:2) Satan encourages us to be “children of disobedience,” (Ephesians 2:2,) and our sinful flesh has been handed down throughout the generations almost since the beginning of time, (Psalm 51:5.)

DepravedJesus taught us that the lost can and will do good to each other, (Luke 6:33,) and to their children, (Luke 11:13,) but they can not do anything to please God. The standard laid before us simply too high for us to rise to the occasion. When we consider that God judges our though life and that hatred equates to murder and lust to adultery, we realize that we all fall WAY short of the glory of God. Some of the nicest people I know are not believers. They do great things for their friends, families and communities, but I fear if they were to die today, they would be facing an eternity in Hell.

DoomedThe man who does not believe in Jesus is already condemned, (John 3:18,) his judgment is already passed. Fortunately, God is loving and he is holding off on the sentence. God is not willing that any man should parish, but that all should come to repentance and faith in Jesus. Sadly, he will not withhold that judgment forever, (2 Peter 3:9-10.) Man can not save himself, but God, through his mercy and grace could save a disobedient, depraved, dead and doomed soul like mine. Surely he can do the same for you!